This invention relates to a medical diagnostic ultrasound system and method. Ultrasound systems generate a sequence of images representing a region of a body. Different processes and hardware are used to generate the images. Many of the processes and hardware components are divided into ultrasound subsystems. Each subsystem is typically implemented with an ASIC. The ASIC is designed to perform a particular process. The processes are determined in part as a function of the system architecture or ASIC based design.
The subsystems are connected to a back plane or common structure to form the ultrasound system. The ultrasound system typically is mounted on a large wheeled cart.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.
By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below provide a medical diagnostic ultrasound imaging system and method for constructing a composite ultrasound image. In one preferred embodiment, visual and audio components of an ultrasound image are separately stored so that a composite image including some or all of the components can later be constructed. The audio component can take the form of Doppler audio or voice data, for example. In another preferred embodiment, stored computer-readable program code is selected to perform an operation on a constructed composite ultrasound image.
Other preferred embodiments are provided, and each of the preferred embodiments can be used alone or in combination with one another.